BAPTIST UNION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 85, 7 October 1931, Page 7

BAPTIST UNION

PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS

THE CHURCH'S WORK

In the course of his address, Mr. Fred W. Gaze, president-elect of the Baptist Union of New Zealand, at the annual conference of the church last evening, said that he had chosen as the subject of his remarks, "A- .\cw Zealauder's Free Church: Her Cordial Invitation." As w« understood it to-day, the Church in it« local significance was a group o£ Christians with Christ as the head, but a human society nevertheless. As one had said, the church was a human organisation, her composition was human, her machinery was human. She was officered and manned by those who, in the main, had been as fallible and imperfect as the man who formed auy other group or institution. And all her imperfections were, as all would agree, attributable to that cause. But did that admission rule out the claim that she was divinely inspired? To deny that inspiration would be to maintain that her creed, her sacraments, her message were merely human invention. Of whom was the church composed? There was nowhere given any specific direction as to a minimum number of members, but on one of the few occasions where Jesus referred directly to the organised church that was to be, He gave that great promise, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst." That exceptional presence of Christ in an assembly of Christian men was the ground of all the power and dignity of the Chirstiau Church. NEW ZEALAND CHURCH. Seventy churches were voluntarily bound together in the Baptist Union of New Zealand, said Mr. Gaze. Established for the mutual help and extension purposes, that union, with the aid of four local auxiliaries, had accomplished much work. Soon after the inception of the union, there was commenced the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. That fine society, linked to the union, had done good work in East Bengal, India. It had a well* equipped hospital dispensary, and teaching and preaching stations, with two Indian churches, staffed with then- own preachers and workers. These -were gradually becoming self-supporting. Educational and rescue work was a fine part of that Christ-like service. Many of the missionaries were women, and so the women o£ the homeland, banded together as the Baptist Women's Missionary Union, were generous , helpers with money, together with grayer. The president then referred to the various activities of the church,' including its social service work, care of orphan children, and its college for the training of ministers. WELCOME TO DELEGATES. About 300 persons attended the welcome tea to the delegate?. Mr. T. C. A. Hislop extended a civic welcome to the visitors, and, as Mayor, expressed his thanks to the members of the church who had rendered such valuable help in relieving distress during the trying times of the past winter. Addresses of welcome were also delivered by Rev. J. Baird, representing the Ministers' Association; Mr. E. Nees, president of the Central Auxiliary; and Mr. K. G. Staples, hon. secretary Wellington Conference Committee. Replies were made by the Rev. H. E. Edridge and the Rev. O. Allwright. During the evening musical items were given by combined city and suburban choirs. MISSIONARY UNION. The annual meeting of the Baptist Women's Missionary Union was held in the afternoon. The Dominion president (Mrs. A. Anstice, Dunedin) presided at the business session, and Mrs. L. J. B. Smith welcomed the delegates. The report stated that there were 6S branches, with a membership of 1551, an increase of 65 for the year. The financial statement showed that £1621 had bee* contributed during the year. Officers were elected as follows: Dominion president, Mrs. Drew, New Plymouth; secretary, Miss E. M. Gaisford; treasurer, Miss N. Wilkinson; representative on executive, Mrs. C. Collins; district presidents —Auckland, Mrs. Wooley; Canterbury, Mrs. J. K. Archer; Central, Mrs. Ward; Wellington, Mrs. Sellons; Otago, Mrs. S. Jenkin. .